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Houston defeats Oak Ridge in state semifinal

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A tall, talented Houston team with several future Division I basketball players eliminated Oak Ridge 77-45 in a Class AAA state semifinal tournament game in Murfreesboro on Friday, March 19, 2021. (Photo by Zack James)

A tall, talented Houston team with several future Division I basketball players eliminated Oak Ridge 77-45 in a Class AAA state semifinal tournament game in Murfreesboro on Friday.

Oak Ridge (28-6) took an early 6-0 lead in the BlueCross Basketball Championships game at Middle Tennessee State University. But after Houston (22-3) took the lead with about three minutes left in the first quarter, the Mustangs never gave it up and they led by as many as 33 points.

Still, Oak Ridge was down by only eight points, 29-21, at halftime.

However, the Mustangs outscored the Wildcats 33-10 in the third quarter and had a 62-31 lead going into the final quarter. Houston senior forward Zander Yates (6-foot-8) scored 14 points in less than two minutes in the third quarter to help open up that lead for the Mustangs.

Houston, a team from Germantown east of Memphis, had four starters, including Yates, who are 6-foot-6 or taller. Oak Ridge had one, 6-foot-8 senior center Jonathan Milloway. The Mustangs had a rebounding advantage, 40 to 27, and they also shot 50 percent from the field (26 of 52) and almost 50 percent from beyond the three-point line (11 of 23).

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Wildcats advance to state semifinal with win over Siegel

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Oak Ridge advanced to a state semifinal basketball game on Friday, March 19, 2021, with a 68-57 win over Siegel in a Class AAA quarterfinal game in Murfreesboro on Thursday. Pictured above shooting a free throw is Oak Ridge senior Jonathan Milloway (21). (Photo by Zack James)

Note: This story was last updated at 12 p.m. March 19.

Oak Ridge advanced to a state semifinal basketball game on Friday with a 68-57 win over Siegel in a Class AAA quarterfinal game on Thursday.

The Wildcats (28-5) will play Houston (21-3) of Germantown, east of Memphis, at 8:30 p.m. Central time Friday. The BlueCross Basketball Championships are in Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

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State basketball tournaments suspended

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The BlueCross Basketball Championships, the state tournament games that were scheduled to include the Oak Ridge boys team, have been suspended because of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus.

It’s not clear yet if the games will be rescheduled.

The state basketball tournaments were suspended after quarterfinal games in the girls tournament on Thursday.

The Oak Ridge Wildcats had been scheduled to play in a quarterfinal game of the Class AAA boys tournament on Wednesday of next week.

“Whether we will be able to reschedule these events will depend on the length of the suspension and the availability of facilities,” the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association said.

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Lady Wildcats play in state basketball tournament Thursday

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The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats made it to the state basketball tournament for the third time in four years by beating Dobyns-Bennett 59-42 in a Class AAA sectional game at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, March 2, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats made it to the state basketball tournament for the third time in four years by beating Dobyns-Bennett 59-42 in a Class AAA sectional game at Wildcat Arena on Saturday, March 2, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Oak Ridge will play in the girls state basketball tournament in Murfreesboro today (Thursday, March 7).

The Lady Wildcats (33-2) will play Science Hill (31-3) in a Division I Class AAA quarterfinal game at 11:30 a.m. (12:30 Eastern) in the Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University.

The other girls quarterfinal game in the BlueCross Basketball Championships on Thursday will feature Bradley Central (31-3) and Lebanon (25-10). That game will start at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. Eastern).

Two other girls quarterfinal games were played Wednesday. Riverdale (30-1) beat Arlington (27-7) 67-50 in the first game, and Houston (29-2) defeated Mt. Juliet (27-6) 58-65 in the other. Riverdale, a Murfreesboro team, has won the Class AAA state championship three years in a row. The Lady Warriors beat the Lady Wildcats 68-36 in the championship game in 2016.

This year, Oak Ridge, the Region 2 champion, made it to the state tournament for the third time in four years by beating Dobyns-Bennett, the Region 1 runner-up, 59-42 in a Class AAA sectional game at Wildcat Arena on Saturday. [Read more…]

Photos: Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats in Class AAA championship

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Lady-Wildcats-Dowdell-Class-AAA-All-Tournament-March-12-2016

Oak Ridge sophomore Mykia Dowdell (34) was named to the Class AAA Girls’ All-Tournament team in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. Also pictured are Riverdale sophomore Brinae Alexander (32), junior Anastasia Hayes (3), and sophomore Alexis Whittington (25). (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

MURFREESBORO—The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up in the Class AAA girls’ basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday. We published 11 pictures by Paul Ward in our Saturday story on the game. Here are a dozen more photos.

Lady-Wildcats-Guinn-Class-AAA-All-Tournament-March-12-2016

Oak Ridge freshman Jada Guinn (24) was named to the Class AAA Girls’ All-Tournament team in the 2016 BlueCross Basketball Championships in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. Also pictured are Riverdale sophomores Amanda Whittington (12) and Brinae Alexander (32). (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Lady-Wildcats-Ellison-Shoots-Riverdale-March-12-2016

Oak Ridge junior Courtney Ellison (10) scored seven points during the Class AAA girls’ state basketball championship in Murfreesboro on Saturday, March 12, 2016, when the Lady Wildcats finished as state runner-up. (Photo by Paul Ward)

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Young Lady Wildcats, first-year coach advance to state championship

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Lady-Widlcats-Celebrate-Bradley-Central-Win-March-11-2016-1

The Oak Ridge Lady Wildcats celebrate a 38-31 Class AAA semifinal win over Bradley Central in the state basketball tournament in Murfreesboro on Friday, March 11, 2016. (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 3:40 p.m.

First-year Oak Ridge Coach Paige Green and her young Lady Wildcats advanced to the state basketball championship game on Saturday after beating Bradley Central 38-31 in a Class AAA semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Friday.

It was a success story that few, if any, had predicted. Wildcats broadcasters called it a “miraculous journey” and a “Cinderella run.”

The Lady Wildcats were led by sophomore Mykia Dowdell with 15 points, nine rebounds, and two steals. Freshman Jada Guinn had nine points, two rebounds, and two assists, and sophomore Jaymi Golden added eight points, including late free throws that helped seal the win.

Oak Ridge (30-4) trailed by as many as eight points in the third quarter, but they rallied starting late in that quarter and continuing through the fourth to knock off Bradley Central (32-4). The Lady Wildcats took a 26-25 lead with about 3.5 minutes left in the game on a feed across the lane from Golden to Guinn, who scored a layup.
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Coming off the bench, Bates leads Oak Ridge in state quarterfinal win

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Lady-Wildcats-Bates-Breakaway-Dyer-County-March-9-2016

Oak Ridge sophomore Desiree Bates (20) came off the bench to lead the Lady Wildcats with 12 points during a 40-35 state Class AAA quarterfinal win over Dyer County in Murfreesboro on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Bates also had seven rebounds and three steals. (Photo by Paul Ward)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:52 p.m.

Sophomore Desiree Bates came off the bench to lead Oak Ridge with 12 points in a 40-35 quarterfinal win in the state Class AAA basketball tournament in Murfreesboro on Wednesday.

The Lady Wildcats (28-4) were up 10 points at halftime, and they bounced back from a 15-4 Dyer County run in the third quarter to advance to the semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Friday.

Dyer County had three consecutive steals midway through the third quarter that they converted into eight points, helping to turn a 26-14 deficit late in the second quarter into a 29-26 lead midway through the third.

Oak Ridge prevailed despite their 19 turnovers and the game-high 18 points of Amber Thompson. Thompson knocked down three three-pointers and ignited the third-quarter surge for the Lady Choctaws (27-5), but she picked up her fourth foul with three minutes remaining in that quarter and had to go sit on the bench. [Read more…]

Lady Bobcats lose in state semifinal 63-45

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Oliver Springs Lady Bobcats Rachel Griffith and Clarkrange

Senior guard Rachel Griffith (22) of Oliver Springs, who scored 15 points, looks for a shot during a 63-45 loss to Clarkrange in a Class A state tournament semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Saturday. (Photo by Kindell Moore) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:19 p.m.

MURFREESBORO—The Lady Bobcats made it to the final four, but they fell short of advancing to the state championship game, losing to Clarkrange 63-45 in a state semifinal game in Murfreesboro on Saturday.

The Lady Bobcats (29-7) were unable to repeat their shooting performance of a day earlier. On Friday, Oliver Springs shot 60 percent from the field in a 67-41 blowout over Decatur County Riverside in a Class A quarterfinal game. But on Saturday, the Lady Bobcats were 32 percent from the field (16 of 50).

The Lady Buffaloes (31-5) got off to a 17-1 start and were up 34-17 at halftime, thanks in part to six three-point shots, or 18 points total. The Lady Bobcats were able to narrow the lead to seven (20-13) on a jumper by senior guard Emily Griffith late in the first quarter, but that was as close as they got.

Oliver Springs, which hadn’t been to the state tournament since 2009, narrowed the lead to 44-33 on a 15-10 run in the third quarter. [Read more…]

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